BYD reports plug-in fleet test results; rapid charging not diminishing capacity

BYD all-electric e6 Taxi in service in Shenzhen. Click to enlarge.

In conjunction with the one-year anniversary of its all-electric vehicle Taxi fleet test, BYD announced high-level results of several pilots of its plug-in electric vehicles—the F3DM, e6 and eBUS-12—in fleet testing across the world.

In total, BYD plug-ins have accumulated more than 1.769 million all-electric miles (2.847 million km) and have seen no diminished range or capacity due to rapid-charging. BYD vehicles are estimated to have already saved $360,000 in fuel costs and more than 2.776 million lbs (1.26 million kg) of carbon-dioxide.

50 of BYD’s e6, five-seat crossover vehicles, each with a range of more than 160 miles (300 km) and a top speed of 88 mph (140 km/h), have been in service at Shenzhen-based Pengcheng Electric Taxi Company since 29 April 2010. The Shenzhen e6 Taxi fleet has now accumulated ~1,730,000 all-electric miles (2.77 million kilometers). The distance traveled for single fleet vehicles has reached ~63,000 miles each (>100,000 km).

250 more eTaxis are being delivered to the International University in Shenzhen before August this year. According to collected data, the per-car-fuel-savings is more than $1,167 per Taxi per month (driving an average of 400 km per day). BYD’s all-electric Taxis are expected to help Shenzhen avoid about 133 lbs (or 60.4 kg) of carbon-dioxide emissions per day per taxi. This is an equivalent of 2,425,060 lbs (or 1.1M kg) of carbon-dioxide pollution saved by this fleet in the first year.

BYD said that the most important finding in the e6 fleet testing was that there has been no noticeable energy drop—both driving range and battery performance has been stable in rapid-charging conditions over the 1.73M miles tested.

The results of the e6 fleet, which was continuously rapid charged in 20-30 minutes, provide a proven track record for its Iron-Phosphate battery technology, BYD said.

BYD also reported on its F3DM fleet which BYD launched in its first US tests at the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA). The F3DM can travel more than 40 miles (64 km) all-electric but can be engaged to act as a Hybrid-Electric (HEV) to extend its range up to 300 miles (483 km). The HACLA fleet has now accumulated ~10,430 miles (16,785 km) all-electric and 14,430 total miles (23,223 km); 4,000 fuel-driven miles when extended range was necessary.

The fleet is achieving an equivalent of 88 mpg (2.67 L/100km) and BYD estimates the per-car-savings—even netting out EV charging and electricity costs—is ~70%. BYD’s dual-mode cars are expected to save HACLA about 37 lbs (16.8 kg) of carbon-dioxide per-day-per-auto when driven to the EV range.

In China, BYD launched an all-electric bus fleet with the eBUS-12 in Shenzhen and Changsha, China in January 2011. These fleets have already accumulated 28,802 all-electric miles (46,380 km) while undergoing a 3-hour-charge of the 324 kWh FE battery. An example of the per-eBUS-savings for Shenzhen’s Bus Line 202 (driving only 200 km per day) is about $2,833 monthly per eBUS. 300 more buses will be delivered to Shenzhen in August of this year. BYD’s all-electric eBUSes save about 708 lbs (322 kg) in carbon-dioxide emissions per eBUS per day.

Source: Green Car Congress